One Image: A Thousand Stories (Part Two)

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the human capacity for inspiration. Not the fact that it exists to some great extent in certain individuals (although it does), but that so many are presented with the miracle of existence and are able to put their stamp on some small piece of it in a way that feels true and honest to them. No two experiences are exactly the same and even the interpretations of the same event can lead to vastly different artistic results… and yet the beauty of art is our ability to see ourselves in it, even if the situations and narratives reflected within are so very distant from our own.

Take these six images, carefully selected by professional Bay Area photographers. They all have an emotional thread that runs through them, whether they are well-concocted art pieces or happenstance glimpses at the truth of a moment.  In the first installment in this series, which featured some excellent New York City photographers, we discussed the multitude of stories that every image has to share. These images are no different in their ability to speak to us.

Enjoy these stories and, if you are moved to learn the methods and techniques that inform these pieces, then feel free to get in touch with the photographers, many of which are available to teach you one-on-one through Learnivore! 

Marissa Rocke

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A photograph can tell any number of ’stories’ depending on how it is perceived by a viewer. This basic fact is one that I treasure when creating images. This image was taken while waiting in the neurologist’s office with my grandfather. My maternal grandfather is now 84 and has severe Alzheimer’s disease. When this image was created, we were waiting for the doctor to give us test results from his latest MRI brain scan. Having cared for my grandfather for the past three years, I have witnessed first-hand the disruption and evolution of this horrible disease. Documenting my grandfather during this time helped me to process what was happening to him and how it affected our family.  No matter how confused he felt, he would always light up when I started taking images of him.  

In this particular instance I saw the image before making it. He sat on the edge of the exam table, looking nervous and confused as to why we were sitting in this room. In order to ease the tension, I suggested he hold and examine the brain mold that was on the table beside him. He seemed to think it was very interesting and began to relax through distraction. He then looked up at me and I took this image. The image tells a powerful story that has touched many people dealing with this disease in their own family.  It shows a man in a very personal and delicate situation; however, he appears to be calm and collected in his thoughts. He stares deeply into the lens as he gently holds the brain; a moment of clarity as he recognizes that something is not right within himself and accepts it.

Josh Norem

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I get paid by clients to take photos of their pets, which (as you know) are animals that are loved dearly and passionately. Oftentimes, the client tells me to just take photos of the pet and that they don't want to be in the photo at all. But once in a while, in between takes, the client will interact with their dog or cat and these end up being the best shots from the shoot because it shows the bond they have together.

This is one such shot. I was working with a gentleman and his cat and, on the day of the shoot, it was raining very hard. The storm had knocked something loose on the roof and it was making a terrible noise, which was terrifying the cat. In between shots, the owner gave the kitty (named Marley) a kiss on the head to let him know everything was going to be alright, and I was able to capture it.

Shan Lee

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A photograph tells a story no matter what, and that story varies from person to person, but the meaning behind it depends on how the photographer creates the image. Prior to creating this image, I just found out that my parents had announced bankruptcy and I was basically cut off right away. Without any savings, living in San Francisco was burying me alive, and I felt like my dream of continuing art school was being taken away from me. The only thing I could do to feel better about my life was to focus on my photography.

The image was created with both love and hatred; the love that I have for creating the image and hatred at my life at the time. I used artificial light and the lamp for the background, creating the darkness and spotlight effect around the model. The harsh shadows on the model reflect the sadness my mood. The model is awkward and stiff because my spirit had been taken away and I felt like an empty shell. As a photographer, I create images from life experiences. I feel like I have more connection between the images and myself that way. The stronger the connection is, the stronger the images come out.

Laurie Reemsnyder

Visual storytelling is a critically important skill that takes training and perfecting. Sometimes, it is the ability to have your audience hover over an image to try and figure out what is going on; other times, it takes a series of photos to tell your story.

This photo was recently taken while in Cambodia. I'd taken a group of students to a small floating village on Tonle Sap Lake to volunteer for a few days. Most everyone lives, works, shops, and studies on boats, as well as using them to travel from place to place. As we were passing a floating shop, I saw this small boy tossing a soda to (presumably) a customer on another boat. It is unclear how the money got to his hands, but I'm guessing there was a system! 

Leah B. Frink

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Band photography, like all photography, is about capturing a moment in time. However, with band photography you want your viewer to feel the music through the lens. I have been capturing that feeling since I was 16.  There are definitely some amazing band photographers that have set the path for all to follow:  Bob Gruen, Pennie Smith Anton Corbijn, and Jim Marshall, just to name a few. I feel that it is all about knowing the band you are photographing and picking that decisive moment when the action is at its peak. I am currently working on a new book of my band photography spanning over 20 years.

Nick Gutierrez

In my photography I've always been interested in recreating aspects of reality more than documenting it. To tell a story in an image, I combine elements from many different sources. I find beauty and inspiration in art, fashion, photography, movies, music, books and my daily experiences. When I find something that gets my attention I spend time contemplating the subject and building a story in my mind. I feel the mood of the moment that I want to recreate, visualize the general aesthetic of the picture and then decide on the appropriate light, color pallet, texture and visual elements to materialize that idea into a photograph. 

This image is part of the series "Avenge," five photographs I made inspired by Pedro Almodovar's films. The main idea in the picture is passion and the story is about a woman dealing with betrayal and overcoming adversities. I worked the composition, light and color to create a dramatic scene that expressed the feelings of the character portrayed. The warm tones, the red dress, the fire, the smoke and darkness in the picture are symbols of love, passion, revenge and survival. The picture is a piece in the series, but can be read as a small story in itself.

-Introduction and compilation by Derek Spanfelner, Director of Client Success at Learnivore. See the original post on Learnivore